Three years had passed. Only ten months remained until the U.A. entrance exam, and Ren was training harder than ever. His body had grown even stronger, and he had managed to expand a couple more empty spots for quirks — though he hadn't copied any new abilities after Joint Reactor. He had trained that quirk relentlessly, mastering its synergy with Volt Hair so that using both no longer strained him.
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It was almost evening when a familiar ringtone sounded. Ren glanced at his phone.
"Old man… you decided to show up, huh?" he muttered, answering.
From the other side came a weak, raspy voice. "Ren… where are you? Still training…"
Ren immediately caught the sound of coughing.
"Did you overdo it again, old man?" he asked, sighing.
"No… not at all—cough, cough…" All Might wheezed, cutting himself off.
Ren rolled his eyes. "Hold there. I'm coming."
Within moments, he charged his knees with kinetic energy, converting Volt Hair's electricity into motion. Grip and raw leg power launched him across rooftops and over alleys, landing in front of their apartment in the blink of an eye.
Inside, All Might lay sprawled on the couch, breathing raspingly.
"Ren!" he exclaimed, attempting to rise, but a violent cough forced him back.
"Stay there, old man," Ren said. He placed a hand on All Might's shoulder, channeling Healing Light and Soothing Touch. White energy enveloped the weakened hero, easing his pain and halting the coughing fits.
"All… that's… better…" All Might muttered.
"I feel like I'm your personal nurse sometimes," Ren said, letting the energy fade.
All Might squinted, curious. "It's stronger… did you copy any other healing quirks?"
"Nope," Ren replied calmly. "Just trained a lot."
"All Might leaned forward slightly, excitement creeping back into his voice. "Anyway… I finally found my successor!"
Ren's eyes widened. "Ah? Your successor?!"
"Yes," All Might said, his grin faint but earnest. "He's quirkless, but he has spirit. Incredible spirit. He risked his life to save a friend from a villain, despite having no powers at all. Exactly the kind of person I was searching for."
Ren's interest peaked. "When will you meet him next time?"
All Might glanced away briefly. "Tomorrow. I need to train him. His body's weak — if I give him One For All immediately, it would destroy him."
"Can I come too?" Ren asked.
"Of course," All Might said. "You'll be spending a lot of time together at U.A., so it's better to bond now—"
"Wait," Ren interrupted. "He's going to U.A.? There's only ten months left until the entrance exam. If his body's that weak, he'll never make it in time."
All Might chuckled softly. "Have some faith, Ren."
...
The next day, the salty breeze of Mustafu's coastal beach carried the cries of distant gulls. The sky was bright, the waves lazily rolling against the sand.
All Might — in his true, emaciated form — stood beside Ren, his trench coat fluttering faintly in the wind.
"G-Good morning, All Might!"
A boy was running toward them — average height, messy green hair, freckles scattered across his face. His expression was a mix of awe and panic, and he was dressed in plain clothes, clutching his backpack tightly.
Ren blinked. "Is that… the one you chose?"
"Indeed!" All Might said, smiling wide.
Ren tilted his head slightly. "Are you sure he's really fit to—"
Before he could finish, the boy dropped to his knees and bowed so low his forehead nearly touched the sand.
"I-I'm very honored to meet you again! Thank you for this opportunity, All Might! I—"
The words started tumbling out faster than his brain could control them.
Ren just stared blankly. "…You're serious, old man? He looks like the perfect bully victim. I don't think he's fit to be your successor."
Midoriya froze mid-babble, his eyes wide with panic. "I-I—!"
All Might chuckled. "Ren, I already told you." He pointed at the kneeling boy. "You need to have some faith!"
Ren sighed again, pinching the bridge of his nose.
All Might turned to Midoriya. "Young Midoriya! No need to be so formal. We'll be spending a lot of time together from now on, hahaha!"
Ren muttered under his breath, "I hate it when you do that laugh…"
"What?" All Might asked, feigning offense. "I'm just being friendly!"
Ren ignored him completely and extended a hand toward the boy. "It's… a pleasure to meet you. Takeda Ren."
Midoriya hesitated for a second before grabbing it, his grip trembling. "I'm Midoriya Izuku! The pleasure is all mine!"
Ren saw the spark of determination in his eyes and smirked faintly. Maybe he's not as bad as he looks…
But that thought didn't last long.
Midoriya's expression suddenly lit up with fanboy excitement. "Wait—You're Ren Takeda?! The Ren Takeda?! The son of Mimica?! The movie prodigy of the century?!" His eyes sparkled as he leaned forward, almost vibrating.
"Y-Yeah…" Ren said, caught completely off guard by the sudden energy spike.
"What are you doing with All Might?!" Midoriya blurted.
Ren opened his mouth to answer, but All Might cut in, laughing, "He lives with me! Hahahaha! I've raised him since he was a little kid!"
Midoriya blinked, confused. "But… weren't you living with your mother's TV agent?"
Ah, right — Ren's mother. She was a world-famous actress as well, beloved across Japan. When Ren was younger, he'd stayed with her agent during All Might's long absences. He'd even starred in a few films himself — his natural charisma and mimicry skills earning him an Oscar at thirteen.
The youngest actor in history to do so. The "movie prodigy of the century."
Ren shot All Might a deadpan look. A strand of hair sparked. Zap!
"AAHH—!" All Might flinched as a light jolt hit him.
"That's just a lie we told the media," Ren said casually while All Might collapsed into the sand. "We couldn't exactly announce that I'd been adopted by the Symbol of Peace."
"All Might!" Midoriya shouted, panicked.
"I'm fine…!" All Might wheezed, waving weakly from the ground.
Ren sighed and placed a hand on his shoulder.
A warm, white glow spread over All Might's frail body, easing the tension and restoring his breathing slightly.
"Ahh… much better…" All Might muttered, smiling faintly.
Midoriya's eyes widened, dazzled. "That's your quirk, right?! Energy?"
"Yeah—" Ren began, but before he could continue, Midoriya had already whipped out a notebook filled with notes, sketches, and diagrams.
"I have so many ideas for you!" Midoriya said excitedly, flipping to a page that already had Ren's face drawn beside arrows and text bubbles. "You can manipulate different kinds of energy, right? So if you release it from your palms, could you make explosions? Or maybe convert it to heat to generate flames—"
Ren blinked slowly, processing the verbal hurricane. "…Yes. I could do something like that when I gain more control over it."
'He's got... a lot of creativity...'
"Awesome!" Midoriya exclaimed, practically sparkling.
All Might laughed, now standing again. He placed a massive hand on Midoriya's shoulder. "Don't get too excited about Ren's quirk, young Midoriya. The one you'll be getting is far greater!"
Ren gave him a flat stare. "Want to be zapped again, old man? Mine's far better."
To be continued...
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Also guys, I've been thinking about it for a while, who should be in his harem?